EAST ASIA – OCENIA REGIONAL SEMINAR – MISSIONARY ANIMATION

CONCLUSION AND PROPOSALS

1.  HUA HIN, March 29- April 4,1989

“The Far East – Cultures, religions and evangelization”

Criteria / Lines of Action
I.
Inculturation / 1. Know, understand, respect, love and appreciate the culture / 1. Learn the language and study the present reality
2. Establish dialogue (discern values,listen, respect, be humble and open) / 2. Promote an atmosphere of friendship
3. Evangelize the culture by giving coeherent witness of Gospel values / 3. Study ways of efficaciously presenting the Gospel in the culture. Find areas in the culture, where people feel the need of salvation
II. Philosophies and Religions / 1. Know, respect and appreciate the philosophies and religions of the country / 1. Promote the study of Oriental philosophy and religions both for Salesians and youth
2. Foster sincere dialogue, rather than make comparisons and contrasts / 2.Participate in the life of the people while witnessing to Christian values
3. Distinguish between religious theory and religion in the life and practice of the people / 3. Clarify the values of philosophy and religions in order to prepare the ground for evangelization
III. Education and Catechesis / 1. “Emmaus model”: follow the example of Jesus as he dialogued with the disciples of Emmaus / 1. Draw up a SEPP, update ourselves in methodologies
2. Approach the young with an “oratorian heart”. Foster the Salesian youth spirituality / 2. Develop interest for needy youth, hurting youth. Develop the Family Spirit
3. Educate the young to become evangelizers / 3. Affirm the importance of the school as means of evangelization. Form apostolic groups and leaders. Foster peer ministry. Deepen religious instruction
IV. Parish / 1. Availability of the pastor and SDB community / 1. Be responsive to the environment and have social concern
2. Formation of the Christian Community / 2. Organize BEC, form apostles. Develop the Oratory
3. Give importance to youth and laity in pastoral work / 3. Form the Parish Pastoral Council, draw up SEPP
V. Vocations / 1. Witness to our Salesian joyfulness, contagious way of life and optimism / 1. Foster the family spirit, make a vocational proposal to the young. Present generosity and spirit of sacrifice as a challenge
2. Our attitude towards vocations: discern motivation, family background and apostolic spirit / 1. The community shares in the discernment of vocations. Province spiritual direction and guidance. Involve parents in the vocation process
3. Give authentic Salesian witness of prayer, work and concern for the poor / 3. Inculcate a true spirit of prayer and work. Involve candidates in apostolic work with the poor and abandoned youth

EAO Regional proposals

1.  Coordinate YM at the Regional level by – holding an annual meeting of the YM Delegates, drawint 2-3 year plan for the Delegates meeting, exchanging pastoral information, meetings on evangelization

2.  Learn the language of the Founder (Italian)

3.  Promote an exchange of volunteers within the Region

4.  Organize ongoing formation courses

2.  BATULAO - Philippines, March 12-18, 1994

“ Evangelization and Interreligious dialogue”

Working criteria / Concrete proposals
I. Interreligious dialogue / 1. Evangelization urges us to engage in true dialogue in order to reach the fullness of truth and unity / 1. Study of Church documents
2.Dialogue is actualized by
- openness and docility to the Holy Spirit in an atmosphere of prayer, deep faith
- collaboration with the local Church in forming and involving the lay people
- seeking what is good, putting aside all prejudices and superiority complex
- appreciation and respect for other religions
- seeking common grounds and points of convergence / 2. Periodic evaluation of our witness on provincial and local level
3. Collaboration between the SDB, FMA’s
4. Organizing an echo seminar of this encounter in our Provinces (SDB+FMA)
5. Collaboration with Local Church and other religious institutes
II. Tribal religions and popular religiosity / 1. Value and love both culture and Salesian Charism values / 1. The missionariy undergo stages of preparation before being sent to the missions
2. The missionary community is in continuos dialogue with culture
2. Believe the Holy Spirit precedes us / 1. On going seminars on missionary spirituality focus on discernment and dialogue
2. Formators are prepared to answer the needs for missionary preparation
3. Update an approach and methodology of evangelization / 1. Further studies on models of evangelization
III. Secularization / 1. We promote an “asian”understanding of the term secularization / 1. Adequate formation for us in the area (secularization)
2. The habit of discernment in front of the phenomenon of secularization in one’s missionary territory / 2. Make a study on the new languages of Soc. Communications
3. Positive attitude towards secularization without being passive in front of it / 3. Start revising our SEPP keeping in mind the reality of secularization
4. This process is a challenge for all of us and chance for our purification / 4. Establish a Commission to make an in-depth study on the phenomenon of secularization in the EAO Region
5. Is a sing of the times – must be read and understood as such
6. Using a holistic approach in face of secularization

3.  HUA HIN, May 10-16, 1998

“Uniqueness of Salvation in Jesus Christ and Need of Primary Evangelization”

Country / Proposals / Strategies - lines of action
CHINA / 1. Within the EPC actively present and share the faith (provincial proposal) / 1. Formation of catechists, MA animators – organize an ‘echo’ seminar on First Evangelization for SDB, FMA, lay
2. Renew the contents of our catechumenate to reflect abundantly of the idea of shared faith
3. When we re-write our catechetical aids, we will do so trying to reflect abundantly the idea of “shared faith”
4. Prepare a handbook on Primary Evangelization
2. Make our BEC more out-reaching and welcoming towards non-christians (Taiwan!) / 1. Get each BEC to introduce two (2) prospective catechumens a year
2. Annual open-day in the parish
3. Organize youth activities: sport, outings
KOREA / 1. Better Scripture formation – to base our life and mentality on the Gospels / 1. Initial and Ongoing formation – stress on Scriptures
JAPAN / 1. Annual missionary animation seminar SDB& FMA (echo HH seminar) / 1. Joint Commission – study and reflection together
2. Get reports of different experiences of missionary initiatives
3. Get common slogan
OCEANIA / 1. Special seminar only for Oceania (2000) / Dicastero SDB, FMA
2. Awareness of culture&language in each country / 1. Study of culture& religion from the initial formation
2. Use of the Melanesian Institure (PNG)
3. Learning the relevant languages of Oceania
4. Involvement in the Oceania theology- contact with the Seminary (PNG, FIJI)
3. Understanding, application of the renewed RCIA / 1. Awareness of the RCIA as a first evangelization process
from initial formation on
2. The sharing of experiences – application of RCIA within our communities
3. Provide available resources on the RCIA in English
PHILIPPINES / 1. To enhance missionary awareness on Primary Evangelization / 1. Echo seminar SDB,FMA
2. Community animators for the follow-up awareness (GNT, Prayer)
3. Exposure program
4. Twinning between the communities in ‘missions’
THAILAND / 1. Awareness about native vocations – missionary spirit in the initial formation / 1. Make know missionary experience, to know the religion, local culture – all in relationship with the present mentality of the youth
(seminar, meeting)
2. Make know to the youth the poverty, suffering of other youth exposed to this realities
2. Make our pastoral planning in all settings about the Primary Evangelization / 1. Propose Jesus courageously through personal contacts
2. Ensure in scholastic activity the proclamation of salvation

SDB-FMA shared animation proposals

·  prayer for the missions every month (11th)

·  common study of the youth problems

·  proposal for a missionary formative journey

·  study the evangelizing situation of our educative-pastoral works together (level of provincial council, Youth Ministry Commission, Missionary Delegate, local community)

·  provincial seminar on missionary animation

·  common missionary newsletter, display at DOMISAL

4.  HUA HIN, July 30 – August 3, 2004

“The challenges of the Mission “Ad gentes” in East Asia”

Objective 1:
To deepen our Salesian missionary spirituality as individuals and community so that together we can radiate God’s love to others. (Salesian Family EA)
·  SDB: foster the missionary spirit and consciousness in all sectors of the provinces, the mission ad gentes – ad intra, ad extra
1.  in formation, exposing young SDB in the life of the poor people emphasizing the study of scriptures also
2.  spreading informations about missionary lands in the congregation
3.  praying for the missions monthly to keep the fire alive, inviting to mis.vocation
·  FMA: Cultivate the mystic of the salesian charism which gives vitality to our mission
·  CSM: To deepen spirituality of ourselves and community to be witnesses of God’s love
·  SIHM: To create unity in the community with the Word of God and the Eucharist as the Center
·  DQM: Create the awareness of being authentic missionaries in the church
·  LMP: To promote missionary awareness in the privileged places where we are
Objective 2:
To make our communities open to the neighborhood, cultures and religions so that we may see and address new forms of poverty in the locality (SF – EA)
·  SDB: To make our houses more welcoming especially to the poor and to find creative ways of addressing the new forms of poverty in the locality
·  FMA: Make the communities aware about the importance of knowing and understanding better the local culture in order to discern the positive and negative elements
·  CSM: To be more effective instrument for the youth
·  SIHM: To be a prophet of God in the mission where the member is sent
·  DQM: To foster in the salesian family an awareness to work together in the field of evangelization
·  LMP: To deepen the initial and on-going formation of the mission animation
Objective 3: To strengthen the collaboration among the members of the Salesian Family in our work ‘missio ad gentes’ – ad intra, ad extra (Salesian Family EA)
·  SDB: To encourage Salesian volunteer for the mission ad gentes – ad extra
·  FMA: Create an environment of dialogue, enthusiasm and joy in the community so that it becomes the launching pad for the evangelization
·  CSM: To know and experience other religions and culture of the countries and the locality
·  SIHM: To closely cooperate with the Salesian Family and the local Church in the proclamation of the good news
·  LMP: To strengthen the missionary call and zeal of the committed lay,sec.lay
Practical proposals implement the findings of this seminar in the Province: individual work to be done later on.

Extract from the previous “Animation and missionary formation seminars” published by SDB, FMA Mission Departments (1989, 1994, 1998, 2004)